Finnair’s First Australia Flights Include a Bangkok Security Check
Finnair has started flying between Helsinki and Melbourne, opening its first scheduled route to Australia. The daily service travels through Bangkok on the same Airbus A350, offering another option for journeys between Europe and Victoria. It is not a non-stop flight, however: passengers continuing through Bangkok must leave the aircraft and go through security again before the final leg. The stop lasts just under two hours.
Helsinki–Melbourne Flights and Timings
- Route: Helsinki (HEL)–Bangkok (BKK)–Melbourne (MEL), both ways.
- Airline: Finnair, Airbus A350; daily, year-round.
- Launched: 25 October 2026; Melbourne departures from 26 October.
- AY145: Departs Helsinki at 00:15, stops in Bangkok from 16:35 to 18:25, and arrives in Melbourne at 07:20 the following day.
- AY146: Departs Melbourne at 15:30, stops in Bangkok from 20:40 to 22:25, and arrives in Helsinki at 06:00 the following day.
- Journey: Around 22 hours to Melbourne.
- Tickets: Finnair website; all times local and subject to change.
Bangkok is a technical stop, not a change of planes. Finnair instructs everyone continuing onwards to take all cabin bags off, follow signs to transit security and check the departure gate on airport screens. Hand luggage and passports may be checked again before boarding. Checked bags stay tagged to Melbourne or Helsinki, so there is no baggage collection during the stop.
Flights arrive at Melbourne Airport's international Terminal 2. SkyBus Melbourne City Express runs to Southern Cross Station in about 30 minutes, with stops outside Terminals 1, 3 and 4 rather than T2. From central Melbourne, visitors can explore Federation Square, the National Gallery of Victoria and laneway cafés. The Bangkok–Melbourne sector is also sold separately, giving Thailand-based travellers another direct flight option.
The same-aircraft service saves a plane change but not the transit procedures, so passengers should keep travel documents and essentials in hand luggage. British citizens need an Australian visa before departure; the free eVisitor is one option. Anyone connecting through Helsinki on separate tickets should allow enough time to collect and recheck baggage where required. Compare fares and airport transfers with other one-stop routes.
